Bhubaneswar: Odisha is planning to conduct 6,000 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests a day to detect COVID-19 cases in the State, informed Director of Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Dr Ajay Parida.
Briefing reporters on the proceedings of a high-level meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Pradipta Mohapatra at the Lok Seva Bhawan here today, Dr Parida said that it was decided at the meeting to ramp up rapid antigen tests in the State to 2,000 tests per day within a span of 10-15 days.
The ILS Director further informed that already 30,000 antigen test kits have arrived in the State and it was decided at the meeting to place orders for one lakh more kits.
He said Mission Director National Health Mission (NHM) Shalini Pandit will brief the Chief Medical Officers and microbiologists on the guidelines with regard to the technicalities of the antigen test following antigen tests will start in the district headquarters from next week.
He stated that with 6,000 RT-PCR tests and 2,000 antigen tests and with the help of CBNet (Composite Backbone Network) 8000-9000 tests can be conducted in the State per day.
Dr Parida said that plasma therapy will be conducted in four hospitals-SCB Medical College & Hospital, KIMS, SUM Hospital, and Ashwini Hospital.
However, the major hub for plasma therapy will be located at SCB Medical College & Hospital, he added.
The ILS Director said that hopefully in the next week or 10-12 days Chief Minister will inaugurate plasma therapy.
In the next few days, the ethical committee’s approval, standard operating procedure (SOP), and formulation of State-specific guidelines for plasma therapy will be completed, he added.
Dr Ajay Parida, Director, Institute of Life Sciences